This invention relates generally to jewelry, and more specifically but not exclusively, to jewelry in general, clasps in particular, including a clasp requiring the use of two hands to remove.
Much conventional jewelry includes clasps and other retaining systems for maintaining the jewelry closed and secured to the person. A particular class of jewelry, for example a bracelet and the like designed to be attached to a wrist, can be sized so that attachment to, and removal from, the person requires operation of the clasp. These conventional clasp systems are designed so that the wearer can operate the clasp with a single hand as the user will have but the one hand available.
There are various diseases, syndromes, conditions that are known to cause serious loss of cognitive ability. When associated with a mature person, this loss is often referred to in general as dementia. For example, Alzheimer's disease is a common form of dementia. Persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease exhibit a wide range of symptoms, including difficulty in remembering recent events. Other symptoms can include confusion, trouble with language, and long-term memory loss.
Because Alzheimer's disease cannot be cured and is degenerative, the sufferer must rely on others for assistance. It is the case that sufferers can be very capable physically; and in some cases they can remove themselves from caregiver environments established specifically to provide care and security, and put themselves in unfamiliar environments. In these unfamiliar environments, it can be the case that the sufferer's lack of complete cognitive function puts them at risk and unable to participate in relocating them to the preferred caregiver environment.
Traditional identification for these sufferers can be unreliable because it is the case that the sufferer may completely discard all identifying information. This is particularly true for identification systems (ID cards, conventional ID bracelets and necklaces, and the like) that can be removed without much effort and/or without complete cognitive function.
There is another class of individuals that can relocate themselves from caregiver environments and find themselves in unfamiliar environments and be unable to offer much assistance in being returned to the preferred caregiver environment. This class includes young children and persons with certain types of learning and cognitive disabilities. These individuals can also have enough physical motor control to remove and discard conventional identification systems.
Identification systems can have undesirable connotations, particularly when associated with an adult. Identification systems that are worn and semi-permanently associated with a person are desirably manufactured to be discrete and ornamental. However they cannot be so discrete as to be “hidden in plain sight” such as when a rescuer observes the identification object but fails to realize its import and thus does not make use of the object for its intended use.
What is needed is an identification system and method that may be removeably semi-permanently associated with a person that is effective and may be ornamental.